


Winding Up

by Fic_Request_Blog



Series: Avengers Drabbles [14]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Changing Tenses, Fanboy Phil Coulson, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 11:57:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9439067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fic_Request_Blog/pseuds/Fic_Request_Blog
Summary: Coulson is a Serious Agent and only thinks Serious Agent thoughts.Or the one where Coulson faints around Steve Rogers, but NO ONE MUST KNOW. (Fury knows. Fury knows all.)





	

Winding Up

Everything, everything I've ever done, every training I've ever fought through, every meeting I've stayed attentive in, every damn fight I've killed someone in and kept my mask on, it had all been for this. My career as an agent, my success to ascend to Fury's right hand, my striving to become all but invisible behind a face as plain as the day, everything was for this one moment. My body, my mind, my emotions I'd learned to control had all been honed just for this. I had unwittingly prepared myself for the one moment that would make my career, my life, in fact.

So, I slid the mask (a pleasant, professional smile) back on and stuck out my hand, "Good morning, I'm Agent Coulson. It's a pleasure to have you with us, Captain Rogers."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fury was excited. He rarely became excited. It wasn't the fact that they'd found Captain America that was interesting, it was the reaction from Agent Coulson that he was looking forward to. 

Stepping into his office, Fury nodded to Hill and Coulson, "I called you both here to inform you that earlier this week we uncovered Captain America. I've been told that he is alive, though he's in something akin to hibernation."

He was watching Coulson, but so far nothing, "Hill, I want you to write up an official report for the rest of the agents. Coulson, you're going to go get him, and you're in charge of him when he gets here. Dismissed."

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Fury followed Hill's movements out of the room, tracing back a few steps as Coulson walked out stiffly.

Fury was disappointed (until later when he was told Coulson had been found unconscious in the bathroom).  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't really a secret or anything, but I didn't broadcast it either. I was obsessed with Captain America, had been since I was a child. Not many people actually knew about it though, not to the point where they had realized I kept a life-sized Captain America plushy with a removable shield in my closet as well as a map with pins (color coded by what he was doing) in every place he'd ever been in, dated. 

Only a select few of the Agents really comprehended the depth of my obsession. So, when they made the announcement that Captain America was alive, the first thing I had done (after fainting in one of the bathroom stalls) had been to stop talking about him, no matter what. I didn't want anyone else to know about it. I didn't want to seem creepy to the guy, especially since he was alive.

Then it had been a busy night of placing all the posters in my room on the helicarrier in sleeves, boxing them with care. Of course, my pillows, bedspread, pajamas, desk lamp, action figures, shower curtain, comic collection, and jackets had to be placed in the closet too. The boxers were okay since no one would be seeing them.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day Coulson went to pick up the Captain, he was incredibly giddy (not that it showed or anything). The moment he laid eyes on the sleeping man in the hospital wing he'd had to (calmly) retreat to his quarters for a small but vigorous tai-chi lesson and a breathing exercise. 

Later, he went for a visit. It wasn't hard to convince the nurses to allow him in, after all he was Agent Coulson. He stood there for a small while in awe, then sat down (stumbled into a chair), scooting the torture device of a chair closer.

He memorized Steve's breathing pattern as he slept (after memorizing every visible feature on the man's face including the length of his eyelashes (1/2 an inch) and the way his hair tended to want to part to the left) when a nurse came in, "Oh, Agent Coulson, you're still here? It's already three in the morning..."

He glanced up, completely straight faced, "Director Fury told me to be here when he woke up."

The look of reverence in her eyes was all the incentive he needed to continue his vigil. They thought he was doing this for the job. Maybe he should be, but it wasn't like he was going to leave anyway. After all, it's Captain America (CAPTAIN AMERICA).

He spent the next three days, in the room with him, slowly but surely committing each and every one of the man's physical details to memory.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sir, he's woken up."

The call ended as I got into my car. It figures in the twenty minutes I was gone, my captain would wake.

I found out about the whole little run-into-the-street fiasco later. All parties received paperwork, lots and lots of paperwork...

I had rehearsed this moment for approximately seventy-two hours straight.  
Sticking out my hand in the fluorescent lights of the hospital, I smiled, "Good afternoon, I'm Agent Coulson. It's a pleasure to have you with us, Captain Rogers."

A strong (warm) hand enveloped mine and he nodded, "Hello."

I would have fainted if I wasn't in shock.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the nurses floundered over the Captain, I considered never washing my hand again, but realized that applying an adhesive to it and peeling would pretty much do the same thing. It took me five minutes and thirty-seven seconds to do so, and then get back to the room.

By that time Fury was in the room debriefing and I was already writing in short hand everything that came out of my idol's lips. The entire scene from Bucky's drop to now. I'd make a copy for Fury later.

"Captain, if you need anything, you ask Agent Coulson. "

For a moment I stood stock still, almost missing Captain America's "thank you, sir" as realization dawned on me. Fury trusted me. He gave Captain America to me for safe keeping. I, Phil Coulson, had just been prioritized as his, Steve Rogers, personal assistant.

If it hadn't been for the nurses and doctors buzzing around me, they might have noticed a low whimper, but to my luck they never even saw the look of shocked bliss flash across my face or the wobble in my knees.

When they had all left, puttering to whatever tests they planned on, I (having not directed my gaze from the Captain for a nano-second) smiled pleasantly, "You're probably fairly tired, shall I let you rest? We'll be leaving for the ship in a few hours."

'Say no, say no.'

Steve's eyebrows nit together with a frown (one that I automatically scanned and put away for further reference as 'bewilderment'), "I- If you wouldn't mind staying, I'd like to have someone to talk with."

"It would be my pleasure, Captain."

'I'll never leave if you ask me.'

A relived smile (scan, file) slipped over his features, "Thank you, Agent Coulson. And, please, just call me Steve."

It had been exactly two hours and seven minutes since the Captain had woken up, and I could call him Steve. Was this really happening? I thanked all my training for not just fainting right there.

"It's Phil. And it's not a problem."

'Let me stay forever.'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ride to what Phil called the "Heli-carrier" was... strange. In fact, all of it was strange. The buildings were huge, the cars were huge, everything. At least the people weren't all that different, well, sort of.

"Sir, we are in visual range of the Heli-carrier, boarding in twenty seconds."

Phil had said it was a ship, and it was, but it flew...it...was huge.

"I'm never going to get used to this, am I?"

With a reassuring pat on the shoulder, Phil smiled, "Don't worry. You'd be surprised at how normal these things get."

Well, at least Steve had Phil here.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coulson was on edge, had been ever since his idol had started living with them (they were breathing the same air), popping up around the ship unexpectedly. Running into the (beautiful, majestic, amazing) man without warning was getting very bad for his heart.

Sighing, the agent shook his head, shuffling into the restroom.

"Oh, good afternoon, Phil."

It was only a second, just one moment of a blinding smile, perfect blonde, (godly) rippling muscles, and Captain America in all his glory before Phil turned on his heel, exiting the bathroom in two strides.

Leaning his back against the wall beside the door, Coulson began hyperventilating, slowly sliding down the wall.

'Yeah, this can't be good for my health.'

Then everything went black.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't stalking, really. He had been told to find the captain for briefing on the initiative. And, if nothing else, Phil Coulson was not rude. He wouldn't interrupt the man (god) in the middle of his workout, then again, he couldn't leave either.

So, he would stand and wait (and watch, stare at his glorious, sweaty physique as he pummeled the punching bag with dazzling, awe inspiring concentration) until he had finished his workout.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clint was in the air vents again. Again. Natasha had refused to help so Coulson was Stuck with his head in an air shaft, standing on a ladder, talking to Clint.

"Barton, this is rather ridiculous, you know?"

"But Coulson, I'm making sure there aren't any security faults!"

"Uh, Phil, is everything alright?"

Coulson glanced down, "Oh, Steve. Yes, everything is fine. Agent Barton.... refuses to come out of the air shafts."

When he got to Clint, Coulson was going to skin him alive for putting him in a situation like this.

"Oh. Do you need help?"

As he rested his hands on the ladder Steve looked up, startling as a head popped out beside Coulson's, "Oh, the famous Captain America? Clint Barton, pleasure to meet you."

Smiling, Steve stretched a hand up to the proffered one, shaking it in slight confusion (file, save), "Uh, Steve Rogers. May I ask why you're in the vents?"

"Irritating Coulson."

"Oh."

"Gotcha."

With that Coulson dragged him out of the ceiling, bodily depositing the man on his stomach at the base of the ladder.

"Clint, go put the ladder away, and if I hear another peep out of you or about you, you'll never be able to leave your desk again, understood?"

The hawk nodded, scurrying away from the glare currently burning into his back.

Coulson turned back to the Captain to find him staring. 'Oh God, he's looking at me.'

"Yes? Is something wrong?"

'Maybe there's dust on me, oh no maybe there's food from lunch-'

"Oh, uh, you're very strong, aren't you", he asked as puzzlement (file, save) flitted through his eyes.

"What?"

"Well, you just lifted, uh... Agent Barton down from the ceiling with just your arms...so, you must be fairly strong considering he's about your size."

"Oh, well, yes. We do go through training as agents."

Steve brightened up considerably, "Training? So, you work out and spar and all of that?"

"Well, yes."

"Ah, then would you be willing to work out with me? I'd love to have a sparring partner, I mean, if you have the time of course."

The "yes" was immediate and took no brain power, which was good because as Captain America grinned and slapped him on the shoulder as he walked past with a "Let me know the next time you're off duty", Coulson's mind was imploding.

He stood there for close to ten minutes repeating 'I get to spar with CAPTAIN AMERICA' in his head until the shock wore off and he fainted.

On another note, Barton found that he did not even receive a reprimand about his actions. Maybe it had to do with the sudden bout of blackouts Coulson had been going through.  



End file.
